The weird way that body posture changes taste

Ever found yourself standing in front of the fridge snacking? Or grabbing mouthfuls of lunch while rushing around? Nutrition expert Dr Tim Crowe explains the consequences…

Growing up, kids are told to sit down while eating. Rather than just being about good manners, science is now discovering how standing up while eating can change taste perception, temperature sensation and even how much is eaten. Welcome to the weird world of altered taste perceptions!

Posture and taste

Taste is one of the five key senses. It happens when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor cells found on taste buds. Sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami are the five well-characterised tastes. But there is growing evidence that we may even have a sixth taste, and that’s for fat.

Taste, though, is more than just the sum of these defined tastes. You also have to factor in smell, texture and temperature. Because all of that combined is what gives us our perception of taste and flavour of food. Just one example of how they are all related is how our sense of taste is dulled when we have a stuffy blocked nose, because we can’t smell the food as well.

There’s much more to taste physiology, but for the purposes of this feature I’ll be focussing on the vestibular system.

The vestibular system is the sensory apparatus in your inner ear. It helps the body maintain its postural equilibrium and gives us our sense of balance. The vestibular system is often referred to as the sixth sensory system. Anyone with a vestibular system out of whack can experience dizziness, vertigo and imbalance.

Body orientation, balance and taste

So, what sort of effect could the vestibular system play in influencing eating sensations? There is a growing trend for more food to be eaten ‘on the go’. That means fewer traditional meals eaten at a table and more eaten while moving from place to place or even getting in a quick meal standing up before moving on to the next pressing engagement of the day.

Scientists are now questioning if there could be something inherently different about standing up compared with sitting down that can affect taste perception and consumption of food.

The theory is that when people experience some form of stress or discomfort, food doesn’t taste as good. Standing up is thought to cause a mild stress to the body. So how much could this stress influence the experience of eating?

Over a series of six different experiments involving several hundred volunteers, researchers explored standing versus sitting, on food taste and enjoyment, temperature perception, and volume of food consumed.

Participants sitting down rated delicious tasting food, such as freshly baked brownies, more highly compared with when the same food was eaten standing up. When the same food was made ‘less delicious’ by adding in too much salt to the recipe, people sitting down rated the food poorly, which wasn’t so surprising.

What was surprising though was that those standing up did not notice the taste difference from the extra saltiness.

It wasn’t just taste perception that was affected by standing versus sitting. Temperature perception of hot beverages, such as coffee, was rated stronger and more intense when sitting down compared with standing up.

And, interestingly, drinking coffee while standing led to less of it being drunk.

Stressful eating

Just to raise the stakes for how a mild stress can alter the eating experience, volunteers also sampled fruit snacks while carrying a shopping bag. The stress of carrying the extra weight meant that people sitting and standing rated the snack to be less tasty.

Whether it’s standing or engaging in some form of extra exertion, such as carrying a heavy bag, the low-level stress placed on the body is enough to mute taste buds and affect appetite. This makes sense from a physiological point of view. Because when the body is under some form of stress, we are primed to be in a more ‘fight or flight’ orientation rather than in the ‘rest and digest’ direction.

The bottom line

So, let’s wrap all this up for how to make practical use of all this research. Take the time to appreciate eating for the experience it is. That means not just savouring food but also being in the right physical space. And that means sitting down and giving your full attention to the food at hand, rather than munching on the go.

Eating mindfully

If eating on the go can alter how we taste and what we eat, eating mindfully is the antidote. Here’s how:

Eat slowly

It takes up to 20 minutes for the signals from your stomach to reach your brain. If you stop eating only when you’re full, 20 minutes later, you’re likely to feel overly full. Eating slowly gives your body time to tune in to how you’re feeling.

Stop when you’re satisfied, not when there is nothing left

Most of us are taught to eat everything on our plate, and it’s a habit that sticks. Practise eating until you’re satisfied, rather than stopping when your plate is empty. You may find your portions are actually bigger than you need!

Eat with minimal distraction

In a busy world, sometimes this is easier said than done. Take small steps. Turn off the TV at dinner time and sit at the table. Take time out for meals, even if it’s only 10 minutes – get away from your computer and eat your lunch without the distractions of work. Then take time to enjoy your food and eating experience.

Tune in to your reasons for eating

Choose to eat because you really want to, not because it’s there, you’re bored or feeling down. Eating may make you feel better briefly but often you feel worse afterwards and this counteracts why you ate in the first place! Try to comfort yourself in non-food related ways – it takes practice but you can get there!